UKIP’s 100 ideas

On Tuesday’s 100-days-to-go mark for the general election, UKIP published a list of ‘100 great reasons‘ to vote for them.

Quite aside from the framing issues here – they’re not described as policies, for example – it’s also interesting to see where the party’s emphasis lies.

With this in mind, I’ve made a small breakdown in the table below. The first column are those reasons which are a direct and necessary consequence of EU withdrawal (the no.1 reason) and so should be considered as a single element. The second column are more intentional statements, that lack clear detail about their content and use conditional language (such as ‘encouraging’): these are very interesting for they invoke an image of a party that will not be able to demand what it wants, even as it demands its headline goals on the EU and immigration.

The third column are all of the more specific reasons, grouping by policy area. As you’ll note from the numbering (taken from the original list), immigration, health and veteran affairs figure strongly, while the economy plays a minimal role. Again this reflects the concerns of the core voter base, just as the inclusion of some more direct democracy elements reflects the libertarian bent of several senior figures.

This is just a first cut and one I’d like to come back to in coming weeks. In the meantime, it’s something to chew on.

Direct consequence of EU withdrawal

Attitudinal goals, i.e. non-specific

Other

1. Get Britain out of the European Union

32. Reversing the government’s opt-in to the European Arrest Warrant

33. Negotiating bi-lateral agreements to replace EAW

44. Repealing the Agency Workers Directive

48. Negotiating bespoke trade agreements with EU member states and worldwide

49. Reoccupying our seat at the World Trade Organisation

56. Students from the EU to pay the same as International Students

82. Leaving the Common Agricultural Policy

84. Reinstating British territorial waters

5. Pay greater attention to elderly care across the country

8. Stopping our endless, foreign wars

9. Promoting a British identity, as opposed to failed multiculturalism

12. Ensuring our armed services are properly equipped for when we do need them

14. Encouraging inward investment with growth markets, not JUST the failing Eurozone

15. Overcoming the unfairness of MPs from devolved nations voting on English laws

71. Encouraging and protecting whistleblowing to get to the bottom of poor performance

77. British companies to be prioritised to deliver foreign aid contracts

83. Allowing parliament to vote on GM foods

91. Safeguarding visitation rights for grandparents

92. Supporting a streamlined welfare system and a benefit cap

95. Emphasising the immediate need to utilise forgotten British infrastructure like Manston Airport

97. Prioritising social housing for those whose parents and grandparents were born locally

98. Reaffirming British laws, rather than allowing dual-track legal systems for minorities in the UK

99. Promoting patriotism and the importance of British values in our schools

100. Rebalancing Britain’s economy

Immigration:2. Get control of immigration with an Australian-style, points-based immigration system

72. Ensuring migrants have jobs and accommodation before they can come to the UK

73. Migrants will only be eligible for residency after 10 years’ working here

74. Reinstating the primary purpose rule, bringing an end to sham marriage migration

75. No amnesty for illegal immigrants, or those gaining UK passports via fraud

76. Protecting genuine refugees by returning to the UN Convention of Refugees principlesHealth:

3. £3bn more, annually, into our NHS which desperately needs it11. Ending PFI privatisation of the NHS, proliferated by Labour and the Tories64. Ensuring GP’s surgeries are open at least one evening per week where demand permits65. Ensuring migrants have NHS-approved health insurance until they have paid into the system for 5 years66. Ending hospital car parking charges67. Replacing bureaucratic watchdogs with locally elected health boards for more transparency68. Stopping the sale of patient data to big business69. Ensuring a high standard of English speakers in the NHS

54. Introducing an Apprenticeship Qualification for students who don’t want to do non-core GCSEs55. Scrapping the arbitrary 50% target for university attendance57. Introducing more power for parents: OFSTED to investigate schools on petition signed by 25% of parents or governors

Foreign Policy/Veterans:

6. Cutting £9bn from our foreign aid budget13. Establishing a Veteran’s Administration to look after those who looked after us31. Withdrawing from the European Court of Human Rights58. Guaranteeing a job in the police, prison, or border forces for anyone who has served 12 years in the Armed Forces59. Priority social housing for ex-service men and women, and those returning from service60. Veterans to receives Veteran’s Card to ensure they’re supported in event of mental health care and more61. All entitlements to be extended to servicemen and women recruited from overseas62. Establishing a National Service Medal for all those who have served

Democratic system:

7. Give the people the ability to “recall” their MPs, without parliamentary or MP approval29. Local referenda for large-scale development, if triggered by 5% of electorate30. Introducing the ability for citizens to initiate national referenda

Agriculture:

18. Supporting our farmers with a Single Farm Payment Scheme85. Food to be labelled with country of origin, method of production, method of slaughter and more86. Ban live animal exports for slaughter

Transport:

20. Scrapping the poorly planned HS2 project, saving up to £50bn23. Foreign vehicles to require Britdisc passes to contribute to our roads they use

Housing:

26. A central list of brownfield sites for developers27. Houses on brownfield sites to be Stamp Duty exempt on first sale28. VAT relaxed for redevelopment of brownfield sites

Justice/Home Affairs:

34. No votes for prisoners35. Full prison sentences should be served, parole on case-by-case basis36. Replacing the Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights40. Taking non-payment of the licence fee out of the criminal sphere41. Amend the smoking ban to promote choice for ventilated smoking rooms96. No cuts to frontline policing

Economy:

47. Extending the right of appeal for micro businesses against Revenue and Customs50. Abolishing inheritance tax

51. Introducing a 35p income tax rate between £42,285 and £55,000 – taking many public sector workers out of higher rate of tax52. Setting up a Treasury Commission to make sure big corporations pay their way in taxes94. Placing revenues from shale gas into a Sovereign Wealth Fund to ensure future growth and security

Climate Change/Energy:

53. Abolishing the Dept of Energy and Climate Change and rolling retained functions into DEFRA78. Repealing the Climate Change Act 2008 which costs the economy £18n per year79. Scrapping the Large Combustion Plant directive and redevelop UK power stations80. Supporting the development of UK Shale Gas with proper safeguards81. No new taxpayer subsidy for wind farms

Social Policy/Welfare:

87. Scrapping the Bedroom Tax88. Child benefit only for children permanently resident in the UK89. Future child benefit to be limited to first two children only90. Ensuring an initial presumption of 50-50 parenting on child custody matters93. Enrolling unemployed benefits claimants into workfare or community schemes